It’s time to work on penalties ahead of MLS Cup final

Pat Onstad helped the Dynamo bring the MLS Cup to Houston for the first time in 2006. (Karen Warren/Chronicle)

Only two days away from the MLS Cup final, it’s time to close practice and add some work with penalty kicks.

The Galaxy are closing their practice at Home Depot Center after the first 15 minutes, so we’ll essentially get to see Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane stretch. With that said, David Beckham’s holding a press conference today.

The Dynamo will practice at home and arrive in L.A. later today. Coach Dominic Kinnear will surely close part of training today to work on penalty kicks. Most of the Dynamo practice will be closed tomorrow too.

Most Dynamo fans will always remember goalkeeper Pat Onstad triumphantly palming the silver MLS soccer ball and running toward the sideline at Pizza Hut Park after making the crucial save to win the 2006 MLS Cup final in a penalty shootout against the New England Revolution.

That year, coach Dominic Kinnear tabbed defender Kelly Gray, Stuart Holden, Dwayne De Rosario, Brad Davis and Brian Ching. Only Davis, the fourth shooter, missed. Pat Noonan, who took New England’s second, shot over the crossbar. Three shots later, Onstad saved Jay Heaps’ shot with a diving grab to his right to win the Cup.

Rest assured Kinnear has a list of five shooters already, and Davis, who takes most of the shots in the regular season, is surely on it along probably with Boniek Garcia. David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane are surely on Bruce Arena’s list, although it’s doubtful Beckham can go 120 minutes anymore.

Ultimately, Kinnear wants shooters who welcome the opportunity.

“You have a list in mind, but you always go to each individual guy and you ask them, ‘Do you want it or not?’” Kinnear said.

Tally Hall, who is in his second year as the Dynamo’s starting goalkeeper, has done some scouting preparation already.

“You watch a ton of video and know their tendencies,” he said. “But when you get there, their main penalty guys have gone both ways throughout their careers. If you look at their big players, they’re good enough to go both ways. Sometimes it’s an educated guess and sometimes it’s a gut instinct.

“It’s one of those things that I hope I help the team enough and I hope the team does enough to prevent it from going there to begin with. I don’t think everyone thinks (penalties) are a fair way to decide a match, but when it comes down to it you have to step up and make big plays.”

3 Responses

This most boring of ‘sports’ will likely be decided after 90 interminable minutes of so-called ‘action’ by a kick-off. Dispense with the 90 minutes and simply have the kick-off. Saves time, energy money and newspaper space.